Attachment for sawmill set-works



(No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet l.

R. P. DOWNEY & M. A. BURNS. ATTACHMENT FOR SAWMILL SET WORKS.

No. 582,047. A Patente d May 4,1897.

r A l N AW 3 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

R P DOWNEY & M A BURNS ATTACHMENT FOR SAWMILL SET WORKS. No. 582,047.

Patented May 4, 1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. P. DOWNEY & M. A. BURNS. ATTACHMENT FOR SAWMILL SET WORKS.

No. 582,047. Patented May 4, 1897.

FFlC.

ATENT RICHARD F. DOVVNEY AND MATTlIElV A. BURNS, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN.

ATTACHMENT FOR SAWMILL SET-WORKS.

SIPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,047, dated May 4, 1897.

Application filed February 13, 1897. Serial No. 623,294. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, RICHARD F. DOWNEY and MATTHEW A. BURNS, citizens of the United States, residing at Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Sawmill Set- Works; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in attachments for sawmill set-works for use on :5 sawmill-carriages, and has for its object to provide improved means whereby the thin remnant of a log or cant may be rigidly held perfectly straight and true until the last board has been sawed, the supports therefor being moved into and out of action automatically and being well out of the way of a new log until the moment they are needed.

Our invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated. by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a plan View of a portion of a sawmill-carriage with our supplemental knee applied thereto, the latter being 0 shown as folded down out of the way and the parts being in the position they will occupyjust before the said supplementalknee is thrown into the upright position. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the parts shown 5 in Fig. 1 just after the supplemental knee has been thrown into the vertical position. Fig. 3 is anend view, partly in section, of

the portions of the sawmill-carriage shown in Fig. 2,'as seen from the left in said figure. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the slide carrying the supplemental knee, the base-plate in which the same is mounted, and the end of the operating-shaft and the pinion thereon meshing with the rack 5 on said slide. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows in said figure. Fig. 6 is adetail plan view of the base-plate in which the slide carrying the supplemental 5o knee works, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the base-plate shown in Fig. 6, looking toward the top of the sheet in said figure. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the base-plate, showing the same as fitted into a mortise in the front timber of the sawmill-carriage. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the devices for operating the end of the shaft shown in Fig. 4 to raise or lower and advance or retire the supplemental knee. Fig. 10 is a sectional View taken on the line 10 10 in Fig. 9 and looking inthe direction of the arrows. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail plan view of the slotted guidebox in which the rear end of the pivot-shaft of the supplemental knee is mounted, and Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line 12 12 in Fig. 11 and looking in the direction of the arrows in said figure.

A and B represent the front and rear side timbers, respectively, of a sawmill-carriage, which may be of any well-known or suitable construction.

0 represents an intermediate timber.

D represents one of the head-blocks of the sawmill-carriage, and E represents one of the main knees mounted in a guideway in said head-block in the usual way.

The front timber A is recessed at A and at one end of said recess is mounted a baseplate A provided with a slideway arranged transversely of said timber A, in which slideway is mounted the slide F having a pair of perforated lugs f j thereon, one at either end thereof, in which lugs is pivotally mount ed the shaft F, as seen most clearly in Fig. 5. The supplemental knee F is rigidly mounted upon the said shaft F between the said lugs f f and turns with the said shaft. It will thus be seen that longitudinal movement of the said shaft will give the same movement to the slide and that rotary motion of the said shaft will swing the supplemental knee F through the arc of a circle in a vertical plane.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen that the rear end of the shaft F is mounted in asleeve or boX C having a longitudinal slot C with curved rear end 0 therein. A guide stud or boltf, havingarollerfthereon, is mounted upon the said shaft near its rear end and is adapted to move backward or forward in said slot accordingly as said shaft and 5.

F is moved backward or forward, as seen most clearly in Figs. 11 and 12. The curved slot 0 should be long enough to allow the shaft to turn through an angle of ninety degrees, so that when the said shaft is in its extreme backward position the guide stud or bolt f will be at the extreme end of the curved slot 0 and the knee F on the forward end of the shaft F will be lying in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, but when the said shaft F has been moved forward far enough to bring the guide stud or bolt F into the straight longitudinal slot 0 the said shaft will have been turned through an angle of ninety degrees, and consequently the said. knee F will have been turned into the vertical position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will also be seen in this connection that after the guide-bolt f has once reached the straight portion C of the slot further forward movement of the shaft F is in a longitudinal direction only, and consequently the knee F must move forward in a vertical position.

The rear portion of the under side of the slide F in which the knee F is mounted, is provided with a rack f as shown in Figs. 3 The teeth on this rack f are beveled so as to be engaged'by a pinion 7L fixed upon a shaft H, one end of which is higher than the other, as will be hereinafter more fully described. (See Fig. 4.) One end of this shaft 11 is journaled in a perforated lug a on the rear end of the base-plate A in which the slide F is mounted, and the pinion 7L mounted rigidly upon the shaft H adjacent to this lug, meshes with the beveled rack f as seen most clearly in Fig. 4. The baseplate A having the perforated lug a thereon, is shown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 7. The opposite end of this'shaft H is journaled in a block E either integral with or rigidly mounted upon the side of the head-block D, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. The said shaft slants from this latter end downward to the end upon which the pinion 71.2 is mounted in order that the knee F may be set sufficiently low down to be entirely out of the way when not in use.

A pinion H, having cogged portion 71 and radial lug or stop h, is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft H and engages a feather 72 on said shaft, which feather allows the said pinion to be moved along said shaft by means of a clutch-lever H which engages a grooved collar or clutch lE-l integral with said pinion.

An angular plate E is mounted upon the side of the main knee E, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is provided upon its lower edge with a rack E adapted to engage the toothed portion of the pinion II when the said main knee has moved forward far enough to bring the said rack above said pinion.

A set-screw h is mounted in the lug or stop 72. on the pinion H and may be adjusted so that its point will be struck by the forward end of the rack c at the proper instant ally thrown into operation.

to cause the teeth on the said rack to engage between the teeth on the said pinion, and thus the initial force of the impact of the said rack upon the pinion as the former moves forward will be taken up by the lug or stop h, and possible injury to the teeth of either the rack or the pinion is avoided. As the point of the set-screw wears it may be set up a little at a time, and thus such wear may be compensated for, as required.

The plate E is so bent that it will not interfere with the head-block D, and also so that the rack E thereon will be held at a slight angle in order to properly engage the pinion 11 instead of the said rack being required to be beveled, as in the case of the rack f on the slide F The operation of the device is as follows: The journatbearings of the shaft H being stationary the said shaft is always in the same relative position with regard to the head-blocks of the carriage. The pinion 71 on the lower end of said shaft is always in engagement with the rack f on the slide F carrying the supplemental knee F. The angular plate E is attached to the main knee E in such a position that the rack E thereon will not engage the pinion H in the operation of sawing a log until the said knee E has moved comparatively near its extreme forward position, or, in other words, until the log or cant has become so thin-as to need the extra support of the supplemental knee to prevent its springing or bending. In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in their positions just as the rack E. on the main knee is about to engage the pinion H on the shaft H. Upon reaching this position any further forward movement of the main knee will cause the rack E to engage and rotate the pinion II and through it the shaft 11 and the pinion k mounted thereon, which latter pinion 71 which is always in engagement with the rack f will cause the slide F to move forward in the base-plate A drawing with it the shaft F, pivotally mounted therein. This forward movement of the shaft F will cause the guidebolt f to move upward in the curved slot 0, and thus cause the said shaft to rotate until the said guide-bolt has reached the straight portion (1 of this slot, at which time the knee F will have been turned up to the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, when any further forward movement of the main knee will cause the supplemental knee to be moved forward at the same speed, as willbe obvious. In this way, it will be seen, the supplemental knee may be kept out of the way until needed and may be at the proper instant automatic- The supplemental knee having been thrown into operative position against the inner side of the cant, the latter may then be caught by any suitable means and securely held, as by means of the dogs I and operating-lever I, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) until the last board has been sawed.

' mounted upon the carriage, and means oper- .knee will be thrown over to one side and will upon the shaft F, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and

knees; of a supplemental knee pivotally hen the main knees are run back for the purpose of allowing a new log to be put on the carriage, the rack IE will rotate the shaft H in the reverse direction, and the slide F and shaft F, together with the supplemental knee, will be moved backward until the guidebolt f on the shaft F reaches the curved slot 0 in' the box 0 when the said supplemental fall to the horizontal position by its own weight. This will occur just as the rack E passes out of engagement with the pinion H; and it will be seen that any further backward movement of the main knees will be independently of the supplemental knee, which latter will remain in the horizontal position until again needed, when its operation will be as before.

In order that the supplemental knee F in returning to its horizontal position will not fall too heavily, a counterweightX is mounted 3, and this counterweight will retard to some extent the action of gravity on the said supplemental knee and will not only make the said knee fall more easily, but will, in fact, make it more easily raised, thus avoiding injury to the apparatus through sudden impacts therein.

It will be seen that if it be not desired to have the supplemental knee operate at any time by throwing the pinion H out of line with the rack E the main knees may be allowed to advance to their full forward position independently of the said supplemental knee.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In sawmill setworks, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a supplemental knee pivotally ated by one of the main knees for operating said supplemental knee, substantially as described.

2. In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a supplemental knee pivotally mounted upon the front part of the carriage, and adapted, when not in operation, to be folded in a horizontal position upon said carriage; and means operated by the forward movement of the main knees, for raising said supplemental knee to a vertical position and advancing the same in line with said main knees, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said mounted upon the forward part of said carriage, and adapted, when not in operation, to be folded in a horizontal position upon said main knees, for raising said supplemental knee to a vertical position and for advancing the same in line with said main knees, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4:. In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a slideway mounted upon the forward part of the carriage transversely of said carriage; a slide mounted in said slideway; a supplemental knee pivoted upon said slide; and devices operated by the set-works during the forward movement of the main knees, for turning said supplemental knee in said slide, and for advancing said slide, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5.- In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a slideway mounted upon the forward part of the carriage transversely thereof; a slide mounted in said slideway; a supplemental knee pivoted upon said slide; a rack on said slide; a shaft journaled in said carriage; a pinion on said shaft gearing with said rack; a second pinion on said shaft; and a rack mounted upon one of the main knees and adapted to engage said second pinion;

and means for imparting to the said supple mental knee a motion about its pivotal point, substantially as described.

6. In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a slideway mounted upon the forward part of the carriage transversely thereof; a slide mounted in said slideway; a shaft journaled in said slide and extending rearwardly therefrom; a supplemental knee fixed upon said shaft in said slide; a guidebox inclosing the rear end of said shaft, and provided with a longitudinal slot therein havinga curved rearportion; a guide-bolt on said shaft working in said slot; and means operated by the set-works mechanism for causing said slide to advance and retire, substantially as described.

7. In sawmill set-works, the combination with the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a slideway mounted upon the forward part of the carriage transversely thereof; a slide mounted in said slideway; a shaft journaled in said slide and extending rearwardly therefrom; a supplemental knee fixed upon said shaft in said slide; arack on said slide; a guide-box having a longitudinal slot therein with a curved rear end, inclosing the rear end of said shaft; a guide-bolt on said shaft working in said slot; a second shaft journaled longitudinally of'the said carriage; a pinion on said shaft gearing with said rack; a second pinion on said shaft; and a rack carried by one of the main knees adapted to engage said second pinion and rotate said longitudinal shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a sawmill set-works organization, the 5 combination With the head-blocks and the main knees, and means for advancing and retiring the said knees; of a supplemental knee pivotally mounted in a slideway upon the forward part of the carriage; a shaft 10 rigidly connected to said pivoted knee; a guide-box inclosin g the rear end of said shaft and allowing of a partial rotary motion, and longitudinal motion thereof; arack connected to said supplemental knee; a second shaft j onrnaled longitudinally of said carriage, and 15 means for rotating said longitudinal shaft; and a pinion fixed on said shaft and gearing with said rack, for operating said supplemental knee, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signa- 2o tures in presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD F. DOWVNEY. MATTHEWV A. BURNS. Witnesses:

W. MURRAY, J. 0. SMITH. 

